Hand sewing machine



May 16, 1950 A. w. RANTANEN 2,507,314

HAND SEWING MACHINE Filed July 11,1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l I u ventorAlfonso W Ranranen y 1950 A. w. RANTANEN HAND SEWING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1947 I I1 ventor Alfonso W Ranfanen B}!mg, a Attorneys May 16, 1950 A. w. RANTANEN HAND SEWING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 11, 1947 m m m m u m b M m n m n a R 3 W N Q11MHIY 0 AIY s W m I I A vm a w mm m QR 8 m I. WK 2. Q mm r 3 mm mm mm mmm mm nv kn mm 5 mm mm. k mm mm E 6 9w a kk \MvwVY Nv mm w om 3W kv R. Ri mm QM v i m V mm w o m km Q Q X m 5 9 9 k May 16, 1950 A. w. RANTANENHAND SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 11, 1947 IIIIII I11renter Alfonso W. Ranfanen B) Z WWW Z98]:

Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hand sewing machines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved hand supported andoperated sewing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hand supportedand operated sewing machine which will include a reciprocable needle andneedle supporting bar and an interconnected reciprocable shuttleoperable at right angles to said needle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved portablehand supported and operated sewing machine including a shuttlesupporting base and a reciprocable needle and needle supporting barmounted in a frame fixed to said base, and a cooperating springtensioned needle bar engaging and operating lever pivotally supported onthe end of said base remote from the needle bar.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedportable hand supported and operated sewing machine including a shuttlesupporting base and a frame fixed thereto, together with a needlesupporting bar and a needle reciprocably supported therein, with aneedle bar and shuttle actuating lever pivotally supported upon saidbase, and resilient means for normally holding said needle bar andshuttle actuating lever in their raised or elevated position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable handsupported and operated sewing machine which will be adjustable to sewvarying lengths of stitches, and which will have means for automaticallyfeeding thread tothe needle of the machine while providing means fortensioning the thread disposed between the needle supporting bar of thesewing machine and its thread supply.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedportable hand supported and operated sewing machine which will be highlyefficent in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture andproduce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved portable hand supportedand operated sewing machine showing the same in the act of sewing apiece of material;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved portable hand supported andoperated sewing machine;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the improved hand supported and operatedsewing machine with interior portions thereof being shown in dottedlines;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the improved portable hand supported andoperated sewing machine shown from the opposite side from the showing inFigure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4; I

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line '|'-l of Figure 4, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the reciprocable shuttle supportingand actuating guide rod.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings to designate correspondingparts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved portablehand supported and operated sewing machine including an elongated hollowbase I of substantially square shape in cross section and open at oneend.

A substantially U-shape frame 2 is secured intermediate the ends of thehollow base i to the upper surface thereof by means of the screw bolts3, and supports the spaced vertically aligned bearing grommets 4 and 5,through which the needle bar 6 is reciprocably mounted, the samesupporting the needle I in its lower end, and is normally held in itsuppermost or raised position by means of the coil spring 8 disposedabove its upper end between the upper bearing grommet 4 and the fixedwasher 9 on said needle bar 6.

A spindle I 0 is supported on the upper end of the frame 2 forsupporting a spool of thread i I, and an L-shape bracket I2 is mountedupon the frame 2 between the spindle l0 and the needle bar 6 forrotatably supporting the apertured thread tensioning disk l3 which isresiliently tensioned by means of the coil spring I4.

The thread I! extends from the spool to and through the apertures in therotatable thread tensioning disk 53 and through a transverse opening #5in the reduced upper end of the needle bar 6, and from thence downwardlythrough hereinafter described guide loops and apertures to be threadedthrough the eye H3 in the needle I.

A bracket I! is secured to the arcuate outer end of the frame 2 and isformed with a guide channel [8 in which the arm I9 is slidably mountedand upon the lower end of which the presser foot 26 is fixed. Alaterally extending apertured ear 2| is formed on the arm I9 andslidably receives a pin 22 which is formed with an eye 23 and anchoredto the bracket I1, and a coil spring 24 is disposed about the pin 22 andis variably tensioned by the nut 25 engaging the end of the spring tohold it under the desired tension. It will be seen that the presser foot20 is resiliently urged to contact the upper surface of the hollow basei, which is formed with an aperture 26 through which the needlevertically reciprocates.

A pair of spaced apertured bearing ears 21 are formed on the uppersurface of the U-shape frame 2 and pivotally support the bell cranklever 28 upon the bearing pin 29 supported by said ears 2?. A coiltensioning spring 36 is secured to the upper end of the bell crank lever23 and has its opposite end attached to the apertured ear 3| fixed tothe frame 2. A bent rod 32 is secured to the lower end of the bell cranklever 28, and is formed with an eye or loop 33 in its outer end throughwhich the thread I I is passed.

A U-shape thread guide plate 34- is suitably attached in a verticalposition between the side edges of the loop in the frame 2, preferablyby welding, and thread guiding apertures 35 and 36 are provided in theoutwardly extending side arms of said plate 34. A pair of verticallyspaced thread guide loops 3! and 38 are secured to the plate 34intermediate its ends for receiving and guiding the thread H, as clearlyillustrated in Figures 4 and 7 of the drawings.

A supporting standard 39 is supported upon the rear upper surface of thehollow base I by means of the threaded bolts 40.

An operating lever 4| of inverted U-shape in cross section is pivotallysupported upon the hearing pin 42 on the upper end of the standard 39,

and extends forwardly and upwardly at an angle to cooperate with theneedle supporting bar 6. A U-shape leaf spring 43 is supported by thepivoted end of the operating lever II and is adapted to engage the uppersurface of the base I for normally supporting the operating lever 4| inits raised or elevated position. The forward end of said operating lever4| is apertured at 44 adjacent its outer end for the reception of theinner end of the needle bar 6, which is slidably disposed therethrough.

A pair of spaced forwardly extending arms 45 are secured to theundersurface of the outer end of the inverted U-shape operating lever 4|and are adapted to bear on and ride along the oppositely extending endsof the bearing pin 46 disposed transversely through the central portionof the needle bar 6 for forcing the same downwardly when said lever 4|is compressed and moved on its pivot 42 toward the hollow base I. An arm88 is secured to the latter end of the lever 4| for engaging the lever28 for operating the same to feed thread I I to the needle I.

A hollow cylindrical barrel 4'? open at its outer end is supported uponthe upper surface of the operating lever 4| adjacent its outer end, andsupports a rod 48 for reciprocable movement, the same being resilientlytensioned or projected by means of the coil spring 49 housed within theinner end of the barrel ll. The outer end of the rod 48 is adapted to bereceived in a socket 55 formed in the needle bar 6, being held thereinby the resilient action of the coil spring 49 which projects the rod 48forwardly. Thus, it will be seen that while the arms 45 engage the crossbear- 75 at Will.

ing pin 46 to lower the needle bar 6, the rod 48 whose outer end isreceived in the socket 5|] latches the lever 4| to the needle bar 6 sothat as the needle bar is raised by the coil spring 8 disposed about theupper end of said needle bar 6 the lever will also be urged to a raisedposition.

A centrally disposed upstanding standard 53 is secured to the uppersurface of the hollow base I by means of the screw bolts 54, and istransversely apertured adjacent its upper end to receive the pivot shaft55 upon which lever 56 is fixed. The lever 56 is formed with arearwardly extending portion 51 upon which the upstanding bearing finger5B is rigidly mounted. A leaf spring 59 is secured to the end surface ofthe operating lever 4| and is adapted to resiliently seat upon the upperend of said finger 58, so that when the lever 4| is depressed, the leafspring 59 is placed under considerable tension. An offset limiting rod60 is secured at 6| to the lever 56 and is threaded on its upper end toextend through an aperture (not shown) in the operating lever 4|, andsupport the adjusting nuts 62 for adjusting the limit of the upwardmovement of said operating lever 4|.

A shuttle actuating lever 63 is fixed to the opposite end of the shaft55 and is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 64 forselectively supporting the forwardly extending rod 65 whose forward endterminates in the loop 66 for supporting the thread I I. The lower endof the lever 63 is disposed through a longitudinal slot 61 in the uppersurface of the hollow base I, and is connected by the crank 68 with therear end of the shuttle supporting an operating guard rod 59. The rod 69is formed with spring fingers I0 adapted to positively support a shuttleII for moving the same forwardly to pass through a loop formed by theneedle I each time the operating lever 4! is moved towards the base I.

The bearing I2 is struck from the standard 53 and supports the crank I3which extends downwardly as at I4 and inwardly as at 15 to pass throughan opening IS in the standard 53 to project in front of the shuttleactuating lever 63 for holding the same fixed until the lever 4| isdepressed almost to its lowest position, at which time the lever 4| willmove downwardly on the release rod TI until it engages the nut 18adjustably supported thereon, said rod I! being secured to the upper endof said crank I3. Continued downward movement of the operating lever 4|will trip the crank I3 to retract the lower end I5 which extends throughthe opening I6, thereby permitting the spring 59 to snap the shuttleactuating lever 63 forwardly to shoot the shuttle through the loop ofthread (not shown), and said shuttle will again be retracted to itsoriginal position as the operating lever 4| is released and movesupwardly to its normal or inactive position. The leaf spring "A engagesthe end of the lower portion I5 of the crank I3 to normally andresiliently project the same into locking position in front of theshuttle actuating lever 63. A guard 58 is disposed over the front oropen end of the base I to permit replacing of a bobbin (not shown)Within the shuttle II.

In operation, a piece of material is disposed beneath the presser foot20 and the operating lever 4| is rapidly moved downwardly and upwardly,thereby causing the thread I I to be automatically fed to the needle 7,and by pulling outwardly upon the piece of material under the presserfoot 28, the length of the stitches may be varied When the sewing hasbeen completed 8 the loose ends of the thread are moved over the cutterblade 8| attached to the frame 2 by means of the screw bolt 82 to cutthe same.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has beendevised and provided a highly emcient form of improved hand sewingmachine which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes indetail of construction may be resorted to without departure from thespirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A hand operated sewing machine comprising a base, a frame supportedon said base, a needle bar carried by said frame for vertical,reciprocating movement, a needle carried by said needle bar, a threadsupply, means for feeding thread to said needle, an operating leverpivoted at one end relative to said base for vertical swinging movement,said needle bar being moved downwardly during downward swinging movementof said operating lever, interconnecting means between said needle barand said operating lever, and means normally urging said needle bar andsaid operating lever upwardly said interconnecting means including aspring urged plunger carried by said operating lever, said needle barhaving a socket therein receiving said plunger.

2. The combination of claim 1 and bearing lugs projecting fromdiametrically opposite sides of said needle bar, and spaced arms carriedby said operating lever receiving said needle bar and engaging saidbearing lugs for downward movement of said needle bar during downwardswinging movement of said operating lever.

3. A hand-operated sewing machine comprising a base, a frame supportedon said base, a

needle bar carried by said frame for vertical, re" ciprocating movement,a needle carried by said needle bar, a thread supply, a, bell-cranklever having an upper portion pivoted to said frame for pendulusmovement, a thread receiving element carried by the lower portion ofsaid bellcrank lever, the upper portion of said bell-crank lever havinga cam surface, an operating lever pivoted at its rear end to the base,the forward end of said lever being bifurcated and receiving the needlebar, the forward end of said lever extending forwardly past said needlebar, a bearing pin attached to the lever and extending forwardly of theneedle bar, said bearing arm riding against said cam surface forimparting swinging movement to said bell-crank lever during movement ofthe lever relative to the base, a spring urged plunger carried by saidlever, said needle bar having a recess therein receiving said plunger, apair of diametrically opposed lugs projecting from said needle bar andengaging the forward bifurcated end of said lever, and spring meansurging the needle bar and the lever away from the base.

ALFONSO W. RANTANEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,554 Pratt Feb; 3, 1857 136,057Gullman Feb. 18, 1873 154,302 Van Alstine Aug. 18, 1874 216,942 CoreyJuly 1, 1879 386,837 Litchfleld July 31, 1888 517,376 Brown Mar. 27,1894 1,009,065 Hahn et a1 Nov. 21, 1911 1,243,921 Corrall Oct. 23, 19171,258,594 Miller Mar. 5, 1918 1,591,947 Laserson July 6, 1926 1,809,192Cahill et al. June 9, 1931 1,883,746 HDoubler Oct. 18, 1932

